Five Lakes Coffee
Five Lakes Coffee is a privately held regional coffee house operator and roaster founded in 2002, serving consumers across Northeast Indiana and Southwest Michigan through 12+ café locations and a direct-to-consumer e-commerce storefront.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2002
- HeadquartersSturgis, United States
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Five Lakes Coffee does
Five Lakes Coffee is a privately held, vertically integrated regional coffee house operator and roaster founded in 2002 in Northeast Indiana. The company began roasting its own coffee in 2004 and now operates 12+ retail coffee house locations across Northeast Indiana and Southwest Michigan — including Angola, Auburn, Columbia City, Kalamazoo, Fort Wayne (two locations), Kendallville, LaGrange, Shipshewana, Sturgis (a standalone café and a kiosk inside a Meijer grocery store), and Syracuse. Each location combines a drive-thru quick-service format with dine-in gathering spaces.
The company sells freshly roasted whole-bean and ground coffee, single-serve pods, single-origin and blended SKUs (signature 5 Lakes Blend, Night Owl Roast, Angry Brew, Espresso Blend), Swiss Water Process decaf, and branded merchandise to consumers through both its café locations and a Shopify-based e-commerce storefront (fivelakes.com). Complementary offerings include gift cards, a loyalty program (Five Lakes Moments) that rewards social-media engagement with points, and a seasonal Dirty Sodas beverage line.
Revenue is generated through point-of-sale café transactions (coffee, beverages, food) and one-time DTC e-commerce orders, with pricing not publicly disclosed. The company markets through organic social channels (Twitter, Facebook, Instagram), an email newsletter, and the rewards-driven referral program, and operates a community-engagement initiative called "Be the Light." No AI/ML capabilities, third-party integrations beyond Shopify, or enterprise/B2B contracts are evidenced in the available data.
Five Lakes Coffee firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Five Lakes Coffee
- Website
- https://fivelakes.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2002
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- Five Lakes Coffee is a privately held regional coffee house operator and roaster founded in 2002, serving consumers across Northeast Indiana and Southwest Michigan through 12+ café locations and a direct-to-consumer e-commerce storefront.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Five Lakes Coffee industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Specialty Coffee Retail & Roastery
- NAICS
- Coffee and Tea Manufacturing (311920), Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars (722515)
- SIC
- Beverages (2080), Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Specialty Coffee Shops (Single-Origin, Third-Wave) (THAFADAA)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Specialty Coffee & Tea Retail (Beans, Leaves, Accessories) (CRAHAGAI)
Keywords
Where Five Lakes Coffee is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Sturgis
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices12 records
Markets served
Five Lakes Coffee business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Coffee House Sales: Revenue generated from in-store purchases at physical coffee house locations, including drive-thru service and dine-in/gathering spaces. Coffee houses offer menu items such as dirty sodas and standard coffee beverages.
- E-commerce Coffee and Merchandise Sales: Online sales of roasted coffee bags (single origin, blends, decaf, high caffeine), coffee pods, and merchandise for at-home consumption. Established 2002, roasting since 2004.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels3 records
Five Lakes Coffee product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Five Lakes Coffee is a vertically integrated regional coffee roaster and coffee house operator that sells freshly roasted coffee beans (single origin, blends, decaf, high caffeine), single-serve coffee pods, branded merchandise, and ready-to-drink beverages including dirty sodas. Customers can purchase products either through 12+ physical coffee house locations with drive-thru and dine-in service across Indiana and Michigan, or directly through the company's Shopify e-commerce storefront for at-home brewing.
Product overview
Five Lakes Coffee is a regional coffee house and e-commerce retailer offering freshly roasted coffee beans and beverages across multiple Indiana locations. The product portfolio centers on whole bean and ground coffee products available for both in-store purchase and home delivery, including Single Origin, signature Blends (5 Lakes Blend, Espresso Blend), Decaf options, High Caffeine varieties, and Coffee Pods. The company operates a vertically integrated model with roasting operations established in 2004, selling directly to consumers through brick-and-mortar locations and an online Shopify storefront. Complementary offerings include a Rewards loyalty program, branded Merchandise, Gift Cards, and seasonal specialty beverages like Dirty Sodas. The company has expanded from its founding in 2002 to 12 locations across northeastern Indiana.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Single Origin Coffee Premium single-origin coffee beans sourced from specific geographic regions, offering unique flavor profiles characteristic of their origin. Sold online and in coffee houses for at-home and in-store consumption.
- Coffee Blends Carefully crafted coffee blends combining beans from multiple origins to achieve balanced and consistent flavor profiles. Sold online and in coffee houses.
- Decaf Coffees Decaffeinated coffee options including Swiss Water Process decaf, for customers seeking coffee flavor without caffeine. Sold online and in coffee houses.
- High Caffeine Coffees Specially formulated high-caffeine coffee options for customers needing extra energy, including the Angry Brew blend targeted at night-shift workers.
- Coffee Pods Single-serve coffee pods compatible with pod brewing systems for convenient at-home brewing of Five Lakes roasted coffee.
- 5 Lakes Blend The signature house blend featuring a smooth, non-bitter taste profile, established as the most popular Five Lakes coffee offering.
- Night Owl Roast A customer-favorite dark roast blend known for its smooth texture and lack of bitterness, sold as bagged coffee for home brewing.
- Angry Brew Strong, high-caffeine coffee designed for night shift workers and those needing maximum energy, sold as bagged coffee for home brewing.
- Espresso Blend Coffee blend optimized for espresso preparation with rich crema and balanced flavor, sold for both home espresso brewing and in-store espresso beverages.
- Decaf Five Lakes Blend (Swiss Water Process) The signature 5 Lakes Blend in a Swiss Water Process decaffeinated version, preserving flavor profile without caffeine.
- Branded Merchandise Branded merchandise including apparel and accessories for Five Lakes Coffee fans, sold through the online shop.
- Dirty Sodas Creamy soda-based coffeehouse beverages combining coffee with flavored sodas, available as seasonal in-store summer offerings.
- Gift Cards Digital and physical gift cards available for purchase and balance checking via the StoreCard platform, redeemable at Five Lakes Coffee locations.
Companies that use Five Lakes Coffee
Customer profileNamed customers6 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Five Lakes Coffee technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Five Lakes Coffee partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Five Lakes Coffee competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Dutch Bros Coffee: Public drive-thru specialty coffee chain rapidly expanding across the U.S. Directly comparable to Five Lakes' drive-thru-led retail model, community-driven branding, and emphasis on efficiency and speed of service.
- Scooter's Coffee: Franchised drive-thru specialty coffee chain headquartered in the Midwest. Comparable to Five Lakes on drive-thru-focused unit economics, suburban location strategy, and loyalty-driven customer engagement.
- Black Rock Coffee Bar: Regional drive-thru and café specialty coffee chain operating across the Midwest, Southwest, and Mountain West. Comparable to Five Lakes on drive-thru + gathering space format and in-house roasting.
Broad incumbents
- Peet's Coffee: Established specialty coffee roaster and retailer with cafés and grocery distribution. Comparable to Five Lakes on in-house roasting, single-origin and blend SKU portfolio, and D2C + café distribution.
- Caribou Coffee: National specialty coffee brand with historical Midwest concentration and both café and packaged retail channels. Comparable to Five Lakes on Midwest presence and multi-format retail strategy.
- Starbucks: Global coffee incumbent with broad specialty coffee and RTD portfolio. Relevant comparable for category dynamics, loyalty program design, and competitive intensity in shared trade areas.
Emerging players
- 7 Brew: Fast-growing drive-thru-only specialty coffee chain. Comparable to Five Lakes on drive-thru speed-of-service model and aggressive regional expansion strategy.
- Stumptown Coffee Roasters: Specialty third-wave coffee roaster with cafés and wholesale distribution. Comparable to Five Lakes on craft roasting positioning, single-origin and blend offerings, and specialty café format.
- Intelligentsia Coffee: Specialty coffee roaster and café operator focused on direct trade and single-origin sourcing. Comparable to Five Lakes on third-wave positioning, in-house roasting, and premium at-home product strategy.
Regional players
- Biggby Coffee: Michigan-headquartered specialty coffee franchise with a strong Midwest footprint. Highly comparable to Five Lakes on geography, community-focused brand positioning, and café format mix.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Five Lakes Coffee social profiles
Digital presenceFive Lakes Coffee financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Five Lakes Coffee leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Five Lakes Coffee funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Five Lakes Coffee M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Five Lakes Coffee
What does Five Lakes Coffee do?
Five Lakes Coffee is a vertically integrated regional coffee roaster and coffee house operator that sells freshly roasted coffee beans (single origin, blends, decaf, high caffeine), single-serve coffee pods, branded merchandise, and ready-to-drink beverages including dirty sodas. Customers can purchase products either through 12+ physical coffee house locations with drive-thru and dine-in service across Indiana and Michigan, or directly through the company's Shopify e-commerce storefront for at-home brewing.
Is Five Lakes Coffee a public or private company?
Five Lakes Coffee is a private company. It is classified as unknown and is currently operating.
When was Five Lakes Coffee founded?
Five Lakes Coffee was founded in 2002. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is Five Lakes Coffee based?
Five Lakes Coffee is headquartered in Sturgis, United States, in the North America region.
How does Five Lakes Coffee make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Coffee House Sales are the primary driver. The others are E-commerce Coffee and Merchandise Sales.
Who are Five Lakes Coffee's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Dutch Bros Coffee, Scooter's Coffee and Black Rock Coffee Bar. Broad incumbents are Peet's Coffee, Caribou Coffee and Starbucks. Emerging players are 7 Brew, Stumptown Coffee Roasters and Intelligentsia Coffee. Biggby Coffee is listed as a regional player.
Does Five Lakes Coffee have an API?
No public API is recorded for Five Lakes Coffee.
What industry is Five Lakes Coffee in?
Five Lakes Coffee's product category is Specialty Coffee Retail & Roastery. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THAFADAA, Specialty Coffee Shops (Single-Origin, Third-Wave), with a secondary code of CRAHAGAI, Specialty Coffee & Tea Retail (Beans, Leaves, Accessories). Its NAICS code is 311920 and its SIC code is 2080.